1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a card edge connector used for a notebook computer.
2. Description of Prior Art
Card edge connectors are widely used in notebook computers for electrically connecting an electronic card to a printed circuit board (PCB). Such card edge connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,042,411 and 5,997,332. Referring to FIG. 6, a prior art card edge connector 1xe2x80x2 comprises an elongate housing 10xe2x80x2 having opposite top and bottom walls 14xe2x80x2, 16xe2x80x2, two rows of conductive contacts (not shown) respectively retained in walls 14xe2x80x2 and 16xe2x80x2. The top and bottom walls 14xe2x80x2, 16xe2x80x2 define a receiving slot 142xe2x80x2 therebetween for receiving an electronic card (not shown), and the top wall 14xe2x80x2 is narrower than the bottom 16xe2x80x2 for easy insertion of the electronic card by way of being slantedly inserted into the receiving slot 12xe2x80x2. However, with the miniaturization trend of notebook computers, it is desired that the width of the bottom wall 16xe2x80x2 which is mounted on the PCB could be as narrow as possible for reducing its layout space on the PCB. In other words, if the bottom wall 16xe2x80x2 becomes narrower, the conductive contacts retained therein must be shorter accordingly, which will adversely affect their performance, such as their resilience and so on. Thus, how to maintain good performance of the shortened conductive contacts is an important issue.
Hence, it is desired to provide an improved card edge connector which can occupy a comparative small space in the notebook computer while maintaining good performance for the conductive contacts thereof.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector which can occupy comparatively small space in a notebook computer while maintaining good performance for the conductive contacts thereof.
To fulfill the above mentioned object, a card edge connector in accordance with the present invention is adapted for electrically connecting an electronic card to a circuit board. The card edge connector comprises an insulative housing having opposite top and bottom walls defining a central slot therebetween for receiving the electronic card therein, a row of upper contacts and a row of lower contacts being retained in the top and bottom walls, respectively. A supporting means, shaped in an embossment, is formed in each of the lower passageways. Each of the upper and lower contacts forms a retaining portion, a mating beam and a soldering portion extending from opposite ends of the retaining portion, respectively. The mating beam of the lower contact is shorter than the mating beam of the upper contact and is a partly above the supporting means with a distance which is with the spring limitation amount of the mating beam of a corresponding lower contact retained in the housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.